﻿Samir Nasri signs for West Ham after completing doping ban

Former Arsenal and Manchester City
midfielder Samir Nasri has signed a new contract with West Ham the same day he
completed his doping ban.

Nasri has signed a contract to stay with the Hammers until the end of the
season. He has been since 31 January without a club following his 18-month doping
ban. The 31-year-old Frenchman, who last played for the Turkish side
Antalyaspor was banned for alleged using an intravenous drip treatment.
Following the completion of the ban, Nasri is allowed to start playing again
from 1 January 2019.

Samir Nasri is not a new face in the Premier League, where he has made 215
appearances playing for Arsenal from 2008 to 2011 before moving to Manchester City
for £25m. He was a regular player at the latter club under Manuel Pellegrini
but lost his position when Pep Guardiola took over. His lukewarm relationship
with the new coach guaranteed him limited playing time and eventually led to
Nasir being sent on a loan to Sevilla. It was while in Sevilla that Samir Nasri
allegedly received 500 millilitres of hydration which contained micronutrient
components. The hydration, which was administered in the form of sterile water
exceeded the permissible limit. This led to Nasri’s ban.

Commenting on his new move to the Hammers and the prospect of working under
his former coach Manuel Pellegrini, who is the boss of West Ham, Nasri said:

“Coming back to the most competitive league in the world, with a team
full of ambition with a manager that I know…. it’s the best job in the world,
and I’m really excited about it.”

“He has been working very hard
in recent weeks to build up his fitness and condition after a long period
without playing, and he is now very determined to return to his best,” Manuel
Pellegrini, who posted on the Hammer’s website that he was looking forward to
working with Nasri, said.

Occupying the 11th position on the Premier League table, West Ham have the option to extend the Frenchman’s contract by a year. Let’s wait and see whether the arrival of Samir Nasri will be a game changer, which will catapult the Hammers to a comfortable league position and perhaps qualify them to play the Champions League. You definitely never know with Samir Nasri, well known for his determination, and strong will.